California Chrome and his team already passed their first test in their attempt to win the first Triple Crown since 1978 when it was announced the thoroughbred would be allowed to use a nasal strip in the June 7 race.

But how exactly does an adhesive give an advantage to the horse? ESPN The Magazine's Regina Nuzzo has the answer: It's a way to avoid bleeding in the lungs, a common problem with racehorses.

"Known formally as Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage, or EIPH, lung bleeding is an often-invisible problem that plagues most racehorses," Nuzzo wrote. "And it's been shown to not only hurt race performance but also delay recovery and potentially cause lung damage."

That's where nasal strips come in: "The strips attach to a spot just above a horse's nostrils, using tension in an embedded piece of springy plastic to keep the nose's weak spot open. The extra airflow translates to big savings in the horse's effort to suck in air; imagine drinking a milk shake with a fat straw compared with a thin one."

If you're wondering what other horses don't wear one if that's the case, Nuzzo asked Jim Chiapetta, the co-inventor of the strips, that very question. He said there are multiple studies proving the benefits, but not enough people have read them to use the strips.